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White Bird Battlefield

White Bird Battlefield

Whitebird Battlefield is located 15 minutes south of Grangeville, Idaho on U.S. Highway 95. The first battle of the Nez Perce War was fought here June 17, 1877 While attempting to resolve their problems peacefully, two shots from a volunteer's rifle ended the parlay. This resulted in a sharp clash between the Nez Perce bands and the U.S. Army Cavalry. Thirty-four soldiers were killed while the Nez Perce Indians lost none. A self-guided walking tour booklet of the battlefield is available at the trailhead 1.2 miles through the town of Whitebird on the Old Spiral Highway. There is an Interpretive Shelter along Highway 95 that overlooks the Battlefield and explains the sequence of events that day.